Fire-extinguisher.



W. H. TIBBALS.

FIRE EXTINGUSHER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 27. 1913.

Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

mamen.

A TTU/e .WALTER H. TIBBALS, F SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

lFIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb.. d, tll'..

AppIication led May 27, 1913. Serial No. 770,119.

- ings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in hand lire extinguishers having a liquid chamber in. one end and an air chamber in the other end for receiving, respectively, a fire-extinguishing liquid and air under abnormal pressure for producing a permanently charged extinguisher without the use of chemicals or chemically generated gases.

The main object is to render the device air-tight so that it may contain the liquid under pressure for indefinite periods of time.

Another object is to simplify the device to such an extent as to eliminate all unnecessary joints or attachments and supporting the siphon pipe solely by the valve case independently of the cylinder.

A further object is to extend the pipe from the valve case through both chambers so as to connect the valve chamber at one end with the opposite end of the liquid chamber to the exclusion of any communication between the pipe and air chamber.

Another object is to screw the plug for the inlet in the bottom of the tank in such manner as to be wholly within the plane of the marginal edge thereof to allow the tank to stand Hat upon its bottom in order that it may be supported in a vertical position.

@ther objects and uses will be brought out in the following description.

ln the drawings* liigure l is a vertical sectional view of a hand fire extinguisher embodying the various features of my invention.

ldig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view through the 'central portion of the bottom of the tank showing the plug for the inlet and the manner of screwing it in operative position.

Fig. 3 is an inverted plan of one of the plug sections showing the tl-shape groove therein for receiving the packing.

As illustrated, this fire extinguisher comprises a tubular sheet metal cylinder -1 having opposite end heads -2- and -3-, preferably of the same metal, forming the bottom and top respectively of the container and having their marginal edges fitted and secured to the corresponding ends of the cylinder 1 to form hermetically sealed joints to prevent any possibility of leakage of air, gas or liquid, the bottom head 2 bemg arched upwardly or inwardly so that its central portion lies in a plane some distance abovethat of its marginal edge to allow the device to stand in an upright position upon a flat support.

A reinforcing bushing --4.---l is permanently secured in a central opening in the bottom head -2- to form an airand water-t1ght joint therewith and is provided wlth a centrallyy threaded opening -5- for receiving a screw plug -6-, said plug being provided with an annular recess 7m and upturned marginal flange -8- surrounding the recess for receiving and inclosing'a packing -9- preferably of lead r equlvalent material to prevent any possibi ity of leakage of air, gas or liquid when the plug 1s screwed up tightly, the4 upturned marginal flange -8- serving to prevent outward spreading of the packing.

As additional means for preventing leakage at this point, the underside of the bushing -4- is provided with a tl-shape groove -10 into which a portion of the lead packing -9- is forced when the plug is screwed up tightly, the flange -8- being of substantially the same diameter as the external diameter of the adjacent portion of the bushing so as to-form a turning connection therewith to more positively hold the lead packing against being forced laterally and upwardly, thereby conning and utilizing the entire packing as an eiective medium to prevent leakage.

rlhe object of this opening centrally in the bottom of the tank is to permit a proper amount of the fire extinguishing liquid as -a2 to be injected into said tank after which the plug -6- is inserted and screwed up tightly in a manner described to prevent leakage, it being understood that when the tank is placed in its normal upright position, the joints between the plug and bottom of the tank are always under liquid seal,

thereby additionally reducing the liability of leakage.

A valve case -llis provided with a pendant portion inserted into a central opening -12- in the top head -3- of the tank and permanently secured to said head in such manner as to form a permanent tight joint which is hermetically sealed against leakage of air, gas or liquid and is never removed when once secured in operative. position and becomes practically an integral part of the head, but, in order to addltionally secure the joint against leakage, the inner end of the joint is soldered or brazed by additional metal -13-. This valve case is provided with a valve chamber 14- surrounding the inner end of a needle valve -l-and communicating with a vertical passage -16- in which is tightly secured one end of a siphon tube 17-, the latter extending downwardly to a point in proximity to the bottom ofthe tank and together with a discharge passage -18- in the valve case forms'a single passage for the inlet ofair or gas under pressure and for the discharge of the fire-extinguishing fluid the exit passage -18- beingrlocated at one side of the axis of the pipe The valve casing 11 is T-shaped, the

head thereof being providedV with a threaded aperture -19- at one side of the axis of the pipe -17-4 oppositethe exit -18- and coaxial therewith for lreceiving the threaded portion of the needle valve -15, the outer end of the valve stem being provided with a hand piece -'20 by which the valve may be opened and closed to and from its seat as 2lthe joint between the valve stem and valve case being Eplrotected'a ainst leakage by a suitable st g box or and 22.

`he valve -15- is alined with the' dis- 21 which latter is formed on the inner end of the passage 18- and to ether with said passage is located at one an the same end of the valve chamber 14- at one side'of the vertical passage 16` so that the pressure of the liquid toward the outlet is in the same direction as the closing of the valve tending to hold said valve in its closed position and at the Sametime by extending the chamber 11ientirely around the valve, it is evident that the pressure is the same at all sides thereof tending also to center and hold the valve to its seat.

The outlet passage -'-18-` leading from the valve chamber ,-14-` is relatively small extinguishing liquid is inserted through the opening -5 l In charging or re-charging the hand extinguisher, the valve l5-,is first closed while the tank is 1n an inverted position after which the {ire-extinguishing liquid may be poured or injected into the cylinder through the opening -5- in a quantit sufficient to ll the tank about two-thir s full more or less whereupon the plug 6f may be reinserted and tightly screwed in place to avoid any possibility of leakage 2nd the tank restored to its upright posiion.

The valve 15 is then opened and an air pump or equivalent air-compressing device is attached to the nozzle -23- and operated to force the air through the channel 18, passage -16- and pipe -17 into the interior of the tank, which air under pressure rises through the liquid to the surface thereof within the remaining air space ast-24- in the top of the cylinder until such pressure a proximates seventyfive to ninety (90lpounds more or less, thereby displacing the lquid suliciently to force a portion thereof up throu h the tube tightly and the plug -6 is then removed sure is removed after reaching the desired degree in the tank, the valve 15 is closed irmly against its seat to prevent the escape of the liquid or air.

The whole device with the fire-extinguishing liquid therein under abnormal pressure constitutes an article of manufacture which is always ready for use in case of fire and may be easily carried from place to place or installed in automobiles, motor boats and other places in a comparatively small compact space.

What I claim is:

A hand fire extinguisher comprising an air-tight cylinder having a liquid chamber vin one end and an air chamber of less length than the liquid chamber in its op osite end,

a valve case secured to one end o the cylinder andl provided with a pipe extending f miami through both chambers to a point in proximaxis and extended across such axis for colni0 ity to -ahe opposite end of the cylinder and trolling the exit passage. communicating only with the liquid ehamlin Witness whereof li have hereuniso sei;

her and valve case, said pipe being supportmy hand this 20th day of May, 1913. ed solely by the valve ease independently of the cylinder, the valve oase having an exil; WALTER H TBBLS' passage Wholly to one side of the axis of Witnessesz the pipe', and a needle Valve soiewing into E, GHASE,

the Valve ease at the opposite side of said EVA E. GREENLEAF. 

